Michael Cherney will be allowed to give testimony to British High Court via video link rather than face arrest by traveling to the UK.

LONDON – The British High Court ruled on Tuesday that an Israeli tycoon can give
evidence via video link to the London court while a Spanish arrest warrant
exists against him.

In 2009, Spain issued a European arrest warrant
against Michael Cherney, originally from Uzbekistan but now living in Israel, on
money laundering charges.

C

herney has accused Spain of “politically
motivated behavior” and said he is applying to the European Court of Human
Rights to contest the charges.

The London case involves Russian oligarch
Oleg Deripaska and a dispute over a shareholding stake in Rusal, the world’s
largest aluminium company.

Cherney says he is owed 20 percent of
Deripaska’s shares in Rusal. Deripaska, who paid Cherney $250 million as part of
an agreement, rejects the claim.

“Michael Cherney is satisfied with
today's court decision.

His ability to testify via videoconference is
essential for the truth to be revealed and [for] justice being done in this
case,” a representative of Cherney said.

“Mr. Cherney has been subjected
to what he sees as politically motivated behavior by Spanish investigators, and
he is grateful for the UK court's refusal to allow justice to be impeded by
denying him the right to give evidence at the trial of his case against Mr.
Deripaska.”

“Russia, not Britain, is the natural forum for this
case.

Mr. Cherney obtained permission to bring his claim in the British
courts, because while he said he feared arrest in Russia, he could ‘come to
Britain without difficulty’ to give his evidence,” a spokesman for Deripaska
said.

“Now he says he cannot come to the UK to give his evidence, because
he fears arrest here, too. He is willing to say one thing for purposes of
persuading the courts to hear his case but something else when it actually comes
to giving evidence. Mr. Deripaska remains confident that Mr. Cherney’s claim
will ultimately be rejected by the courts.”